Grizzlies, Tigers ready to open regional playoffs

Grizzlies, Tigers ready to open regional playoffs

By Charles Whisnand

Appeal Sports Editor

Last year the Galena and Douglas High School boys basketball teams staged one of the all-time classics in the Northern 4A finals.

The Grizzlies edged Douglas by one point and went on to win the NIAA Class 4A State title. This year the two teams may be headed for another showdown for the right to play in the state tournament - but this year a possible showdown would be in the zone semifinals, not the finals.

But first, both teams have tough tests to pass today if they are going to meet each other. The Grizzlies, the High Desert League's No. 1 seed, will host Damonte Ranch, the Sierra League's No. 4 seed, while Douglas, the Sierra League's No. 2 seed, will host Reed, the HDL's No. 3 seed, in the first round of the playoffs.

Both games are at 7 p.m. The winners will face each other at 5 p.m. Thursday at Spanish Springs.

Galena coach Tom Maurer knows how dangerous Damonte Ranch can be. The Mustangs have beaten Douglas and Hug and Maurer noted that magical runs like the one Damonte is on now comes in threes.

Also given the fact that Douglas has beaten Galena and the Grizzlies suffered their first league loss in three years to Spanish Springs, the Mustangs have nothing to fear and Maurer knows it.

"They're hottest team in the North," Maurer said. "They're not the best team, but they're the hottest team. Those are the kinds of teams you don't want to play.

"They've got nothing to lose and everything to gain by beating us. I think they're very fearless. I watched those kids. They're not afraid. They're not going to be afraid of Galena."

Maurer is concerned about Damonte's effective zone defense because his team has not been a patient team, something the Grizzlies will need to be against the Mustangs' zone.

"My team's not a patient team," Maurer said. "It's a very uncharacteristic Maurer team."

Maurer noted that Damonte also rebounds well out of its zone, something unusual for a zone defensive team.

"Their zone is a very, very good zone," Maurer said. "I've never seen a zone rebound like their zone. I was highly impressed with their ability to block out."

While Galena will obviously going to be led by 6-foot-8 power forward Luke Babbitt, Maurer noted that other players such as Jake Mansfield will need to have a steady game. Maurer also said point guard Goose Robinson will need to have a solid game.

Damonte Ranch is led by 6-3 forward Kelton Hall, 6-5 Jake Johnson and guard Kyle Brush.

Douglas coach Corey Thacker is also well aware that Reed beat his team early in the season and that the Raiders didn't have 6-5 Travis Petersen in that game. Thacker noted that a big reason why Reed fell to third in the HDL was it wasn't at full strength for about a two-week stretch, but is at full strength now.

"The makeup of their team was totally different," said Thacker about the opening meeting. But Thacker noted that his team has matured as well.

Reed is the complete package with size (6-5 Petersen and 6-8 Nick Dixon) and is led by point guard Omarri Williams. A key will be the Tigers' ability to contain Williams' penetration. When Williams penetrates he has plenty of options as he can dish off to Petersen or Dixon or kick it out to Reed's three-point shooters.

"They're going to put up a lot of threes," Thacker said. "Any time Omarri can get to the lane and create, that's going to make things happen. They're a great team. A very solid team."

Reed also likes to play in transition, so Thacker said it will be key for his team to hustle back on defense. Thacker doesn't want a high-scoring shootout, but would like to see a game in the 50s.

He would like to see his team be able to hold Reed to around 50 points, a magic number that he has set for his team all season.

"We've got to hold them to that," Thacker said. "It's going to be team defense. It's not just going to be one guy. We're going to be scrambling all night."

Douglas has a balanced attack, led by its starting five of Ross Bertoloni, James McLaughlin, David Laird, Jeff Nady and Kevin Emm.